Two days had passed since the coliseum trial that shook the Rikxia Empire to its core. News of the brutal second wave—and the single life it had claid—spread swiftly throughout the realm, igniting fierce backlash from citizens of all classes.
The na of the fallen trainee lingered in the air, whispered in hushed tones of regret, and shouted in heated accusations. He had been young, barely more than a child, and his death beca a symbol of everything that was wrong with forcing ungraduated trainees into perilous trials. Streets once filled with lively chatter now teed with anxious murmurs and pointed glares directed at anyone in uniform.
In the bustling markets of the capital, vendors who once welcod custors with broad smiles now spoke in grave voices. "They were just trainees," an older woman lanted as she served hot broth to a passerby. "Still children. How could the captains let this happen?"
A blacksmith, pausing his hamr mid-swing, glowered at the emblem of a Lionhart crest on a traveling rchant's cart.
"Sending kids to fight monsters fit for knights… madness," he grumbled. "They're lucky only one died."
Even the nobles in their opulent banquet halls refused to remain silent. At a lavish banquet, a baroness waved her jeweled hand dismissively. "Lionhart or not, this fiasco was a stain on the empire," she declared to an audience of solemn faces. "What possessed them to test youths in such a manner?"
The captains, once lauded as paragons of expertise and dedication, found themselves ensnared in the empire's collective discontent. From Captain Yenova Lionhart—whose family na alone inspired awe—to Captain Kalix Williams—fad for his cunning tactics—each faced scathing public scrutiny. Nor were these two alone in bla. Captain Alric of the Ember Blades, Captain Tyrus of the Black Wolves, Captain Elys of the Viper Fangs, and others had equally participated in orchestrating the trial. They, too, shouldered the burden of the outrage, receiving vehent letters, angry public criticism, and dark rumors of potential retaliations.
Amid the turmoil, Roman Lionhart, the patriarch of the family, summoned the captains for a private, closed-door council at the Lionhart estate. No one knew the details of that eting, only that the captains erged with grim expressions. Whispers ran wild: so claid Roman had been enraged, his composure cracking for the first ti in years. Others speculated he was simply disappointed that such an avoidable loss tarnished the Lionhart na.
***
In the face of the uproar, the fourteen trainees who survived were each granted a seven-day reprieve before joining the ard groups that had chosen them. To the public, it felt like a token gesture, a flimsy Band-Aid over a deep wound. Still, for the trainees themselves, it was a critical respite—a chance to recover, physically and ntally, from a trial that had pushed them near their limits and taken the life of one among them.
On the third day of this rest period, the funeral was held.
The grand hall of rembrance was cloaked in black drapery, its usual grandeur subdued by a somber atmosphere. Candles flickered along the wide marble aisle, their flas casting wavering shadows on the carved stone walls. Trainees—those who had passed and those who had not—gathered in silent rows, heads bowed. Instructors and civilians stood behind them, murmuring words of sorrow. Many had co not just to pay respects but to protest the injustice they felt had been done.
Klaus Lionhart stood among the throng, arms loosely folded across his chest. His silver hair caught the dim light of the candles, and his blue eyes were alert, missing no detail. Over the past two days, he had heard every rumor: so blad the captains alone, others blad the entire structure of the trial, and still others insisted that the deceased boy had chosen this path with full knowledge of the risks.
At the hall's front, the father of the fallen trainee gripped the edge of a wooden podium. His eyes, clouded by a mix of grief and rage, swept over the captains seated in the front row. Captain Tyrus sat with fists clenched on his knees. Captain Elys stared at the floor. Captain Kalix's usual grin was nowhere to be found, and Yenova looked uncharacteristically subdued. Others, too—Alric, who once boasted he could promote new talents in a flash, now had his shoulders slumped.
"My son…" The father's voice trembled, echoing in the hush. "He dread of becoming a Lionhart knight. He dread of valor, of protecting this empire. But you…" His voice cracked. "You took that dream from him."
A stillness that felt almost unnatural took hold of the hall. Even the candles' flas seed to hold their breath.
"We trusted you," the father continued, voice rising, "and you betrayed that trust. For what? A spectacle? A test of strength?"
No captain rose to answer, nor did they protest. Their silence was deafening, an admission that words could not undo what had happened.
The casket, draped in the trainee's simple uniform, was lowered slowly. The soft clank of chains punctuated the tension. Many trainees turned away, tears brimming in their eyes, while so steeled themselves in silent resolve. Klaus himself watched with a distant, careful gaze. Though he did not know the deceased personally, he registered the emotional weight that pressed against everyone else in the room.
Once the funeral concluded, Klaus spent the remainder of his days off at the Annex Mansion. He withdrew from the swirling rumors, the outraged voices, and the crowd's thirst for answers. Instead, he focused on his training, ensuring that by the ti he stepped into the White Lion headquarters, he would be as prepared as possible.
He rose before dawn each morning, grabbing a practice sword and heading into the mansion's garden where dew still clung to the grass. With precise motions, he sliced through the air in a relentless routine of thrusts, parries, and overhead strikes. Sweat slicked his forehead, dripping onto the garden's grass as he refined every movent. Afternoons found him studying sword manuals or adjusting forms in front of a mounted training dummy. He would pause only to drink water or wipe sweat away, then plunge back into the drills.
If guilt stirred within him, he did not show it. The deceased trainee, in Klaus's mind, had made a conscious choice to stay in the trial. The captains, too, believed it was each participant's personal decision. Tragic as it was, no one forced that boy to continue. Klaus's only regret—if it could be called that—was that the event had marred the training ground's reputation and disturbed the empire's peace. But regret did not linger; Klaus was too pragmatic, too focused on forging ahead.
"This is a lesson," Klaus muttered to himself one afternoon, guiding his sword in a swift arc that split a wooden target. "Next ti, I won't hesitate. Power is worthless if you aren't willing to use it."
Though the events of the trial weighed on the empire, Klaus's determination only grew. Each slash of his sword carried the mory of what had happened: a subtle push to beco stronger, sharper, and more decisive in future tests. And more than anything, he sought the freedom to act on his own terms—a freedom he believed the White Lion could offer.
By the seventh day, Klaus stood at the gates of the White Lion headquarters.
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The fortress lood large, crafted from pale stone that glead in the mid-afternoon sun. Towering ramparts stretched around the periter, each corner anchored by a tall watchtower. Banners depicting a regal white lion—its eyes tinted a vivid cobalt—fluttered in the breeze, testant to the ard group's distinguished heritage and fearless reputation.
A slow exhale escaped Klaus's lips as he surveyed the imposing structure. Tales of the White Lion's storied past echoed in his mind: a lineage of bold missions, exemplary discipline, and near-unquestioned loyalty to the empire. They were ranked third among the empire's many ard groups, known throughout Runiya for their formidable warriors. And now, he was part of that legacy—or soon would be, once he stepped beyond these gates.
His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword. Though the fiasco of the trial still cast a shadow across the empire, Klaus felt oddly calm. The father's anguished words at the funeral, the public uproar, the rumors of Roman's anger—these were distant concerns now. What mattered was that he had chosen the White Lion over other offers. He had made his bed, and he would lie in it without complaint.
He took a step forward, boots crunching on the gravel path that led to the entrance. The gates, reinforced with steel bands, bore the fierce insignia of a roaring lion, fangs bared. Beyond them lay new challenges, new missions, and the rank structure that would shape his imdiate future. A swirl of conversation could be heard from within—voices calling instructions, recruits responding with salutes.
Klaus paused, letting the mont settle. This was not rely an ard group he was joining; it was an acknowledgnt of his prowess as the youngest Swordmaster in the empire, a place to refine his skills without the overbearing presence of certain relatives. The question of how Alexandra or the other White Lion mbers would receive him hardly bothered him; he welcod the friction and the demands, believing that adversity only honed talent further.
"Here we go," he murmured, eyes narrowing with resolve.
And with that resolve steady in his chest, Klaus stood at the gate of the White Lion, ready to step through and begin the next chapter of his life.
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